Golden eyes
by FluffyPancakes151
Summary: How Ymir joins the eleventh division after her death.


The first time he'd seen her was in the North Rukongai, the 80 district to be precise. It wasn't a rare occurrence for him to sometimes travel here, scaring away cowardly thugs as a way to deal with his boredom. It didn't help that Kurosaki was too damn busy with 'college' or some shit like that to fight with him. If he didn't know better, he'd say that the kid was avoiding him.

He'd been turning the corner then when she brushed past him. Normally, he wouldn't have paid the least attention to a passerby like her were it not for the fact that she didn't even flinch. His spiritual pressure was still quite overbearing even with the eyepatch on, but she didn't even blink. His eyes met hers and he was surprised to see intimidating golden eyes peer back at him, as if she were assessing him. And then, she was gone, leaving him standing in the now empty street. He'd looked each way then, hoping to catch sight of her, but to no avail. She just disappeared.

He'd shaken his head then, thinking that he was seeing things until he finally turned the corner and saw the heap of unconscious and bloodied thugs piled unceremoniously against the wall. Only then did he remember that she was carrying something in her arms, no doubt loot from the guys she just beat up. He allowed a toothy smirk to appear.

The second time he'd seen her was in Kusajishi. He'd just finished fighting then, not that it was a fun fight to begin with and his sword was still glistening with fresh spilled blood. He'd turned away for a second and when he looked back, she was there, kneeling at the side of one of his killed opponents and rummaging through the man's clothes, heedless of the blood staining her arms. He hadn't recognized her at first until she looked up and that unyielding golden stare was fixed upon him again. Only then did he take in her appearance.

She was slender and tall, her face was a soft oval shape with dark freckles adoring her cheeks. Her hair was brown and messy, pulled back in a short ponytail and the bangs framing her face. But what he found most intriguing were her eyes, that intimidating golden gaze that seemed to seep deep into his core.

They'd stared at each other like that for a few minutes that felt like decades until he finally found his voice again. "Who're you?" He spoke, voice a deep rumble that seemed to echo in the small clearing. She hadn't replied then, slowly rising to her feet without looking away and he realized that she saw him as a threat. He'd let his reiatsu brush against hers then and was shocked to feel just how strong she was. He knew he was shitty at sensing spiritual pressure, but even he could tell that this woman was strong. She'd narrowed her eyes then, pulling her reiatsu away from his. He was unwelcome.

"Name's Kenpachi," he grunted, leaning his sword against his shoulder. Why was he even bothering to introduce himself? It's not like he was going to fight her. She may be strong, but her zanpakuto was absent. She was unarmed. When she again remained silent, he continued. "'M one of the captains of Gotei 13, heard of them?" Her eyes narrowed further in reply and she raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms, creating a look that could only be translated as: "Seriously?" It made him vaguely uncomfortable and Kenpachi Zaraki did not do uncomfortable.

When the silence grew, she turned away, slinging a tattered looking bag over one shoulder. She was about to leave and for some reason he didn't want her to.

"Wait."

She stopped, tilting her head just enough to be able to look over her shoulder from the corner of her eye. He took a step forward, ignoring the way she tensed.

"What's your name?" Stupid question, most people in the 80th and 79th districts didn't have names. She didn't seem to judge him however, turning towards him just a bit more until she was standing sideways, looking at him with those cold golden eyes. He was beginning to think that she was mute and some part of him mourned that fact when she turned away and spoke without looking at him.

"Ymir."

He didn't have a chance to react, she was gone in an instant.

It would be a long time before he saw her again. His division were beginning to notice his frequent visits to the northern districts and though he couldn't care less what they thought, the last thing he needed was to get in trouble with the old man. So, he found himself spending the days cooped up in his office like fucking Byakuya Kuchiki, dealing with the long neglected paperwork.

As he sat there, he noticed that his mind would stray more and more often to the mysterious girl, Ymir, as she called herself. But as to why, he didn't know. Yachiru knew about the woman as well, naturally. Kenpachi never learned how to hide anything from the tiny pink haired girl.

"Ooh, Kenny found a new friend!" She'd squeal, hopping onto his shoulder and kicking her legs excitedly. Kenpachi let her, too distracted to care. There was just something about Ymir that caught his attention, some kind of familiarity he could not place. For some unknown reason, he wanted to find her again.

But as the days went on he found it harder and harder to visit Rukongai. If he wasn't forced to work on paperwork or attending captain meetings he was sent out on missions. Kenpachi never would've thought that he would ever be cursing a good opportunity for a fight. Seriously, if anybody dared to tell him that he'd laugh in the fucker's face before brutally murdering them to prove a point.

He began sneaking out during the night, scouring the crime riddled districts in search of the elusive girl. But despite his best efforts he could not find her. It was as if she never existed in the first place and after a time he began to consider that perhaps she had been a figment of his imagination. That particular line of thinking didn't sit well with him at all.

Nobody noticed his growing frustration, most wrote it off as his disappointment in the lack of good fights. But Yachiru noticed, she always did. She noticed the way he'd make sure to finish any paperwork he had in record time, how he suddenly bothered to make his writing readable just so he didn't have to redo it, how he would stare outside the window in the direction of the 80th district with a thoughtful look. Something about that girl was bothering Kenny and she had to find out what.

So, one day she hopped out the window and was gone before anyone could say a thing. It wasn't her first time either. She, much like her father, was fond of stopping by her old home, running through the familiar narrow streets and perhaps picking a fight or two hear and there. This time however, she was searching for someone in particular. Kenny had said that he'd first seen her in Zaraki, perhaps that was the best place to look first?

The people hid away as soon as they saw her coming, but that was nothing new. Most were already familiar enough with her and the eleventh division captain to know to stay as far away as possible. Yachiru let her reiatsu extend. Kenny's new friend must be very strong if she managed to impress him without crossing swords and unlike her captain, Yachiru was slightly better at sensing spiritual pressure. Not by much, but enough to do the job. But even after flash stepping through the whole district while keeping her reiatsu extended, pink haired girl couldn't find her.

Same result turned up in Kusajishi and searching the other districts was far too big a job for one person. Yachiru felt sad, she just wanted to help and failure left a bitter taste in her mouth. She looked up. The sun was already setting, it was time that she headed back. Yachiru knew a shortcut to the Seiretei through the woods which would allow her to get back in record time. Kenny got upset when she stayed out too late, not that he doubted her strength, Yachiru was more than capable of taking care of herself.

The forest turned into a green and brown blur as she raced through it, laughing jovially along the way. Occasionally, just for fun, she'd leap up and grab onto the nearest branch propelling herself through the air to the next tree and then pushing off of it to return to the ground. It was exhilarating.

A sudden burst of spiritual pressure slammed into hers mid jump and she let out a startled yelp, grabbing onto a branch for dear life. Whoever owned this amount of reiatsu was strong, no doubt about it. But as suddenly as the pressure appeared it vanished. Intrigued, Yachiru descended and began to cautiously and silently make her way to the source. It took her a while, in fact if it hadn't been for a second burst, Yachiru would've never found her.

The woman sat on a small boulder, her long and elegant zanpakuto leaning against her right shoulder as it's owner contemplated the smoldering tree before her. Her golden eyes were narrowed, thin brows furrowed in a look of deep concentration. Her tattered clothing bore various stains, some looking suspiciously like blood. Her arms were covered in dirt. Yachiru immediately recognized the young woman as the one from Kenny's stories and had to hold herself back from whooping in joy. She'd found her!

"Damn it." The woman, Ymir, cursed as she leaned forward, clasping her hands with her elbows propped on her knees. Whatever she was trying to do, it obviously wasn't working. The soft wind ruffled her short brown hair, making Ymir grimace slightly when it got in her eyes. She was becoming more and more frustrated by the second.

"Whatcha doing?" The woman barely suppressed a shriek of fear, leaping away from the boulder she'd been sitting on, her body moving into a fighting stance she didn't know she knew. The thing, the girl that had just screamed so unceremoniously into her ear grinned, legs kicking happily. Ymir took a second to get used to the odd sight, her expression swiftly changing from one of shock to neutral.

"Who the hell are you?" She asked after she'd finally composed herself. Ymir knew she probably shouldn't be cursing in front of a small child like this, but she also was aware that looks could be deceiving. That and she just didn't give a damn. The girl in question only smiled broader and leapt off the rock, so that she could stand before the tall woman, looking up at her with bright brown eyes.

"My name's Yachiru." She informed her brightly, unsettling the woman even more by her utter nonchalance, as if she totally didn't just appear out of nowhere and tell into someone's ear. "And you're Kenny's friend!"

"Who's?" Ymir asked, brows furrowing as she wracked her brain for any people named Kenny she could possibly have met only for her mind to draw a blank. The pink haired child pouted, waving her arms dramatically as if that would miraculously jog the woman's memory.

"Yah, he met you in the streets and you didn't die which means that you're his friend!" Yachiru explained as if it totally made sense in her mind. Ymir's eyes widened a fraction. Now this was just plain disturbing.

"Sorry, kid,-" she said, lifting her tattered bag from the ground and placing her sword into the makeshift holder in her belt,"-but you've made a mistake. I don't know any Kennys and especially none that would want to kill me." She turned to leave, only to have the girl block her path, little arms outstretched in a panicked manner.

"But you must know Kenny!" Yachiru cried, brown eyes wide in a pleading look. It always worked after all. However, unfortunately Ymir seemed to be completely immune to puppy eyes as she shot the girl an unamused look that just spelled 'Really?'. Yachiru wasn't so easily dissuaded however, an emergency plan already cooking up in her brain.

Heaving a deep and frustrated sigh, the young woman crouched down so she was eye level with the young child. She'd never admit it, but she was quite the softie for small children, often giving out any scraps of food and clothing that she could spare to those in need and unfortunately Rukongai was riddled with them. And, given the fact that she lived in the Zaraki and Kusajishi districts, she knew just how dangerous those places were for young souls that were unfortunate enough to end up there. Most didn't survive the first week.

Ymir didn't remembered only bits and pieces of her past life: a voice that she couldn't place, a face that was too muddled to be seen clearly. She didn't remember surviving in the streets before, yet she knew exactly what to do now. How to steal, how to find a safe spot to spend the night, how to curl up in thin fabrics so the dirt beneath was just a fraction less uncomfortable. But there was one thing Ymir could remember clearly. A young woman about her age, long beautiful blond hair practically glowing in the bright sunlight, kind light blue eyes staring at her with so much adoration the brunette knew she would never deserve. And her smile.. Radiating so much happiness, brightening everything around her and making all of your problems seem shamefully trivial.

Shaking those thoughts away, Ymir forcefully poured all of her focus on the small figure before her. "Look, kid.."she began softly, narrow golden eyes meeting large brown ones. She nearly cursed at how innocent they were, refusing to give in to the hopeful stare directed at her. "I really can't remember any person by the name of 'Kenny'. You've probably mistaken me with someone else. Now, why don't you run along wherever you came from before it gets dark?" The sun was already low in the sky, the evening rays breaking through the thick canopy of trees and submerging the tiny clearing in golden light.

Yachiru pouted. "But you're Ymir, right? You must know Kenny! He met you in Kusajishi, remember?" She flailed her arms again, even more frantically than before. The little girl couldn't understand why the woman was being so stubborn! Why wouldn't she admit to knowing her father? She was so preoccupied by her own frustration that she didn't notice how the woman stiffened, golden eyes slowly widening.

Ymir felt her breath hitch and she leaned away, looking at the little girl in shock and dawning realization. So, Kenny must be that Kenpachi guy, the one with the crazy hair and massive reiatsu she kept bumping into. But how could a small child be so familiar with a person like him and why was she being sought out now. The young woman snapped her head this way and that, flaring put her spiritual pressure in an attempt to detect anyone that could possibly be hiding in the growing shadows. Only to come up with nothing, the surrounding forest was completely clear of anyone save for her and the little girl before her.

"You said your name's Yachiru, right?" The woman began again, sitting down cross legged on the ground in front of the pink haired child. At Yachiru's nod, she continued. "So, if I say that I am familiar with Kenpachi, will you tell me why he's looking for me?" The girl gave an enthusiastic nod, the ear to ear grin once again reappearing on her face, making Ymir bite the inside of her cheek to muffle the 'Awwww' that threatened to escape her lips. Goddamit, she was not going to fall victim to Yachiru's cuteness!

"Kenny wants ya ta join the division. Says you're strong and strong people belong in the eleventh!" The child informed her brightly, pointing to the white badge on her arm which the woman noticed only now. Ymir drew back, upper lip twitching over her teeth, just barely restraining herself from outright snarling. When you live on the streets you don't give a single shit about manners and adopt some animalistic gestures. But, fuck, they were Shinigami, the little girl and the crazy haired bastard were from the Seiretei, no doubt looking for new recruits.

Being 'gifted' with such a large amount of spiritual pressure, Ymir quickly learned that she only had two choices in life. Either enter the academy and thus join the military or be imprisoned in Maggot's Nest as a possible threat. Possible, huh? Speaking plainly, they'd imprison you whether you did something or not just for being born with a sufficient amount of reiatsu and refusing to be under their control. Well, Ymir took the third option: go into hiding to live your own damn life and beat up any asshole who tries to mess with you. And up until now it had been working. But of course she of all people would bump into an 11th division member not once, but twice. Just her damn luck.

"No." She spat, quickly rising to her feet and walking away, her tattered bag slung over one shoulder. She didn't bother to look back even when the child called out for her to wait. If anything, it made her angrier. Who did they think they were, sending a goddamn child to convince her to join when their own attempts failed?! The dry branches cracked sharply beneath her feet as she practically stalked away. A pink blur raced past her, skidding to a stop in front of her, subsequently showering her with leaves and small branches.

"Wait!" Golden eyes glared down at wide brown ones. Yachiru looked up at the young woman, the height difference forcing her to throw her head back so she could meet the brunette's gaze. "Why are you angry? He just wants to talk to ya!" The girl pouted, placing her hands on her hips just like Nanao did when she was scolding Shunsui. On Yachiru that look was quite comical.

Ymir's eyes narrowed further. "Talk? You mean force me to join his damn division." She growled, a hand unconsciously coming to rest upon the handle of her sword. She still didn't know where it came from. She just remembered 'borrowing a rusty and old looking katana and one day waking up to a brand new weapon she could never even hope of owning.

To her surprise, Yachiru frowned in confusion. "Why would Kenny force you?" She asked and damn it, she wasn't faking. Ymir had been around long enough to be able to easily tell when a person was a lying piece of shit. "He just wants to talk, been searching for you everywhere, but he couldn't find you and then he had to go on missions with Byakushi or Baldy and he was too busy!" Goddamit, now the kid was sobbing. Good going, Ymir.

Heaving a deep sigh, she rubbed a hand over her face, silently resigning herself to her fate. Oh what the hell? Fine, she'd meet the bastard, if only to make the kid stop crying. What was the worst thing that could happen? She'd escaped from the guy before, honestly his sense of direction was practically nonexistent. Losing him would be a piece of cake if worst came to worst. Kneeling down one leg, she patted the girl's head, making her look up at her. "Fine, I'll be in the outskirts of the Zaraki district tomorrow. By that burned ass tree? Tell him to meet me there by dusk or something like that, okay?" At the kid's relieved nod, she rose to her feet and walked away, the darkness of the evening soon concealing her from sight.

Yachiru came back happy that evening, too happy in fact, but Kenpachi was just relieved to see her back in one piece. That and the sake he drank with Kyouraku was certainly addling his brain. He let out a grunt when Yachiru plopped heavily onto his shoulder instantly leaning his head away so she would not yell directly into his ear like she had a nasty habit of doing. "Kenny! Kenny! You'll never guess who I found!" She laughed excitedly, flailing so energetically that he had to wonder how she didn't lose her balance yet.

"Who?" He grunted disinterestedly, glaring down at the fresh stack of paperwork he'd been so graciously presented by the sixth division captain. Sometimes he really wanted to punch the noble in the face, hopefully that would be enough to convince him to finally fight with Kenpachi.

"Ymir! I found Ymir!" Yachiru squealed and the man had to stop and think a bit to remember where he heard that name. Until it dawned on him, the woman he'd been looking for for the past few weeks. His eyes widened slightly and he turned to Yachiru, plucking her off his shoulder easily and holding her in front of her face by her shihakusho. Noticing his sudden interest, the girl giggled, immediately answering his unasked question. "Found in her in the woods between Kusajishi and Zaraki districts! She agreed ta meet ya at that burned tree tomorrow! Gonna go?" Stupid question, of course he'd go.

Although he would never admit it, Zaraki was drawn to the woman and he didn't fucking know why. There was just some thing familiar about her that he couldn't quite place. But he chose to blame it all on her strength. Given the amount of spiritual pressure she had and her ability to stand up for herself (those thugs he saw were messed up pretty bad), she'd be a great addition to the division. Ikkaku and Yumichika agreed, after teasing him of course. He gave the excited girl a soft pat, not unlike the one Ymir herself gave earlier that day, and threw Yachiru a shark like grin. Of course he'd go.

In a rare moment of reason, he decided to set out early. And good thing he did too, for it took him a whole day of running into dead ends until he finally found the place. When he arrived, she was already there, leaning against the dead tree with her arms crossed, looking at the horizon with a distant look in her eyes. Though despite being so obviously lost in thought, that familiar golden stare was immediately directed at him as he approached.

"Hey." Kenpachi grunted, not knowing how to otherwise start the conversation. He was never the best at small talk. She raised a thin eyebrow, looking up at him in a slightly bored manner, but he did not miss the way she tensed defensively or her hand on the hilt of a long and elegant zanpakuto. He managed to hold back a smirk at that sight. So, she did have one. Good.

"Hey." Ymir replied coolly, not budging from her spot. "Little birdie told me you're searching for me. Care to explain why?" The golden light of the setting sun fell upon her face, accentuating her sharp features in a way that made her even more attractive. Though he never did give a damn about beauty.

"I want you to join my division." He said, cutting to the chase. He wasn't like the rest of the captains, he wasn't about to start monologuing.

The girl snapped fully into his direction and he could see the rage in those intense golden eyes, but the young woman kept herself in check, the only sign of her frustration evident in the way she clutched at the thin dirty fabric of her clothes. "And why would I do that? What's in it for me to play puppet for Central forty six?" Ymir spat, voice a low growl.

"It's not like that." Kenpachi said, but he knew she didn't believe him when she let out a snort. "Wouldn't be captain if that were so." That got her attention.

"Captain?"

His shark like grin reappeared and he shrugged off his haori, holding it out towards her so she could see the division symbol emblazoned in black on the white fabric. Ymir eyed the symbol warily, golden eyes flicking between the haori and his face. At last, her grip on her sword slackened and she tilted her head, looking up at him with an unreadable expression. "Don't strike me as the captain type."

"Fought for the position."

"And they allowed it?"

"Ha! Would've loved to see those sniffling bastards go against me."

Ymir barked out a laugh, flashing him a smirk. "Ditto. Didn't see you in action, but judging by the fact that you have to wear an eyepatch to lower that spiritual pressure, I'm guessing you're pretty terrifying."

Kenpachi frowned. "How do you know about that?" Sure, the function of his eyepatch wasn't that much of a secret, but he hadn't expected anyone to know this far from the Seiretei. People here heard only rumors of what was going on in the center, nothing concrete, he'll, they didn't even know who the current captains were, so how could she know?

The brunette raised an eyebrow, sending him the same unimpressed look she had when he questioned her knowledge about the Gotei 13. The one that made him feel like an idiot and that irked him to no end. "I move around a lot. You pick up some interesting stuff here and there."

That made sense he supposed. Kenpachi slung the haori uncaringly over his shoulder, leaning against the tree beside her, ignoring the way she subtly shifted so there would be some semblance of distance between them. Not that he cared. "So, where'd you wake up?" Kami, he sucked at small talk.

To his credit, Ymir looked faintly amused. "Here, right by this very burned ass tree." Kenpachi let out a huff of acknowledgement.

"You?" Her question took him slightly aback as he did not expect her to actually play along and continue the conversation.

"Found myself slightly to the west from here, by the river." The woman nodded, obviously knowing the place he was talking about. He studied her out of the corner of her eye, her lean figure, thin, but at the same time muscular, her stained clothing and messy brown locks, her face. But what he found most captivating were her eyes. Narrow and bright with intelligence. But now they were dim with some hidden pain he longed to understand. But in a rare moment of understanding, he did not press.

"I can tell you're strong." She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. Good, he had her attention. "You're probably lookin' for a good fight."

Ymir's eyes narrowed and she inclined her head, her long bangs shifting softly in the wind. "And what if I am?"

Kenpachi grinned. "My division's full of people like you. Strong, lookin' for a challenge. You'd like it there." The woman smiled bitterly.

"Maybe I would, but.." The eleventh division captain frowned, turning to glance at her. Ymir was looking at the ground, long bangs concealing her expression. "I don't play by anyone's rules. When I woke up, I was given two choices: either join the military or rot in Maggot's Nest. I picked neither. Decided that I had a right to live my own damn life. That was my big 'Screw you!' to those pompous bastards."

"Joining my division would be an even bigger insult." Kenpachi grinned his usual shark life grin as he looked down at the much smaller person beside him. Her head barely reached his shoulder, but then again he was used to that.

"How so?"

He shrugged. "They already tried getting rid of me and failed. You've got talent, with training perhaps you'd even be strong enough to be fun to fight. Learning and growing all the while being out of their control? Sounds like the perfect revenge to me."

The woman pushed off the tree and turned so that she was standing right in front of him. A smirk appeared on her face slowly and she shook her head, looking up at him with those bright golden eyes. "I'll think about it."

The fourth time they met was in the eleventh division's yard. She was literally sitting on the front steps of the barracks, her sword propped against her shoulder and looking up in a bored manner at a fuming Ikkaku. Kenpachi restrained himself from laughing. Just minutes ago the captains were informed of a breach, apparently someone had did a number on Donzomaru and walked right through the gates without a care. People were dreading another ryoka invasion and if he were being honest with himself, some part of him had hoped that it would be Ichigo. That kid could never decide whether he had a sense of self preservation or not. But now, it was pretty obvious who the real perpetrator was.

Ymir met his gaze as he approached and he could see the the challenging glint in her eyes. Right before she pointed a thumb in Ikkaku's direction and asked: "Isn't this guy too young to be bald?" The third seat sputtered, Yumichika hid a snort behind an elegant gesture and Ymir outright laughed, obviously taking great pleasure from Madarame's insulted yelling, golden eyes twinkling with mirth.

Her laugh wasn't attractive, it wasn't one of those high pitched girly giggles you expected from women. It was a sort of howl followed by delighted cackling and Kenpachi found that he liked the sound. It suited her. He let out a guffaw of his own, enjoying the way Madarame reddened with mortification and betrayal, shooting his captain a glare.

The men were surprised at first, this was the first time a female joined the eleventh and most assumed immediately that she would be easy pickings. How wrong they were. Kenpachi had a great time watching Ymir wipe the floor with them and soon everyone learned not to mess with her.

The woman took the fourth seat, unlike Yumichika, she wasn't he superstitious type and couldn't care less what the word sounded like. The other captains of course weren't happy. They demanded that Ymir go through the usual three year training course at the academy, which of course she refused. Kenpachi naturally refused to send her, saying that he was captain and he would take in whatever people he saw fit. Yamamoto was too busy with other matters to care.

Ymir accompanied him to the living world for her first mission and their first fight together was also the first time he'd seen her Shikai. They got lucky that day, a Menos Grande and a few small fry hollows. The woman was a blurr, moving between enemies with astonishing speed and executing maneuvers he'd never seen before, although later she'd tell him she had no idea where she learned them. But the hollows kept coming and then he'd heard it.

"Shred, Ikari no ago!"

The hollow let out a haunting howl of pure agony and his eyes widened when he saw the giant bleeding bite wound in the beast's side. It was as if some invisible monster took a giant chunk out of it. Ymir was hardly recognizable, eyes flaring golden, bright with rage, lips pulled in an enraged snarl as she literally tore apart her enemies with frightening ruthlessness. Her sword had changed, a large, dark gray and black longsword with a golden gem on the end of the handle. Enraged and covered in blood, the woman was beautiful.

He let out a booming laugh, jumping into the fray to join her in the massacre.

That same night he joined her on the roof of the barracks. Ymir liked that place, kami only knows why. She didn't look up from where she was lying, the only indication that she noticed him a slight shift of her eyelids. She seemed content, lying there, her lean form illuminated by the soft moonlight. Kenpachi felt out of place. He did not belong here.

"Something the matter, Captain?" Ymir asked in her familiar sarcastic drawl, pillowing her head by her hands. He did not reply, sitting beside her and looking up at the night sky. He'd noticed the familiar pained look in her eyes and only now did he recognize it.

"What do you remember?" His voice was gruff, but gentle in the rare moment of compassion. The young woman sighed, sitting up so she could lean back on outstretched arms.

"Bits and pieces. Voices, screams, blurry faces. But there is one thing I remember clearly." She sighed again, rubbing a hand tiredly over her face. "A girl, my age, blond hair and the brightest, kindest blue eyes I've ever seen. Worst thing is.. I don't remember who she is, but I have this feeling that she's important."

His green eyes watched her, understanding present in his gaze. And indeed he knew exactly what she was feeling, for he'd had it as well. All of them had. "Why do you think that?"

She sent him the already familiar unimpressed look and he didn't even bother hiding his smirk. "Come on, do I really strike you as the sentimental type?"

No, no she did not.

"You remember your death, don't you?" Ymir stiffened beside him, instantly retreating into herself and he knew he was right. One's death was unfortunately the clearest memory a Shinigami usually had. "How did you die?"

"What do you care?" She spat and there was the defensive edge, the justified anger, but he knew she had to get it out. Or it would destroy her. He knew that better than anyone. Before Gotei 13, before he met Madarame and Yumichikaand Yachiru, he'd been just like her, drowning his pain and grief for his past life in constant challenges and bloody battles. And he could tell Ymir understood, those intelligent golden eyes watching him silently before looking down, focusing on the cold roof beneath them.

"I was eaten alive." She spoke at last, voice barely above a whisper and he had to strain his hearing to catch her words. "I remember... being restrained, then... pain." Her voice broke and he couldn't blame her, his eyes wide benign slightly. Sicknesses, deaths in battle, accidents, murders - he'd heard those before, but actually being eaten alive? That was sick and a whole new type of horrifying. Ymir had to literally choke out the next few words. "I remember my bones being crushed." Her arms shook and she sat up completely, wrapping them around her knees and shivering, but not from the cold.

Realization came over him. "You're from the Titan world." He'd heard of that dimension before, but he'd never met a soul from that place. Most ended up as hollows and those that didn't stuck around until they were devoured by said beings. Very few found it in their hearts to let go and move on. But however painful Ymir's death had been, she was content with it, there simply could not be another explanation as to how she ended up in Soul Society.

The woman nodded, long bangs concealing her expression from sight. Kenpachi sighed, propping his nicked zanpakuto against his shoulder. "I died alone.."

She listened to his death in silence, a mutual understanding blooming between them as they say in the pale moonlight on the roof of the division barracks. And in that moment, Kenpachi knew.

Yes, Ymir belonged in the eleventh and nobody could change that.


End file.
